2013 polls: Left tries to take centre stage in Raj

DNA

Feb 16, 2013, 05:03 AM IST

jaipur news in English

Jaipur:The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday demanded the UPA government to scrap the controversial AgustaWestland helicopter deal and initiate a CBI probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, who was in Jaipur to attend a public rally of the party, asked why the UPA government was not taking any action when everything had come out in the open.

He alleged, “The Italian government is prosecuting the culprits, but our government says it has no details of the case... which is impractical.”

Karat added, “We demand the government to cancel the helicopter deal and hold a CBI probe under the supervision of Supreme Court.”

He held both - the Congress and the BJP - responsible for the scams and said there is a need ‘to bring about a change’ to address the issues of farmers, masses and the poor.

He said, “There is no difference between the Congress-led UPA government and the BJP governments in several states. They work to favour the capitalists, and not the common masses. Now there should be a change, but this change does not mean replacing Congress with BJP or vice versa.”

He strongly advocated the need for the third front in Rajasthan but at the same time, he made it clear that CPI(M) may go for an alliance but with the parties which think in the interest of common people. He said, “The CPI(M) would field more candidates this year in the assembly elections. And the way Congress is gearing up for the elections, it seems the polls will take place before time.”